Slowly but Surely
by StrawberiKiwiee
Summary: The story of our favorite Metamorphagus: joining the Order, reuniting with her long lost cousin Sirius, undercover missions, and eventually falling in love. SBNTRL friendship, eventual NTRL. Ootp timeline, no DH spoilers as of yet. Rating is for later!
1. Recruited

**A/N: Anything you recognize belongs to the brilliant imagination of JKR.**

**Chapter 1: Recruited**

Nymphadora Tonks (who preferred to be referred to by her surname only) groaned as she looked at the huge mound of paperwork stacked on her desk. She had thought that being an auror would be full of excitement, catching dark wizards and saving the world. Well, maybe not saving the world, but at least doing something _slightly_ more useful than checking out generally harmless "dark artifacts" and suspicious wizards who usually turned out to know less about the dark arts than Tonks' muggle grandmother.

She sighed. She had known she would be starting from the bottom and working her way up, seeing as she was one of the newest aurors in the division, but somehow she felt that she was wasting her time, filling out report after report after report, especially with the rumors that Voldemort had returned.

Even though the Ministry repeatedly denied any such allegations, referring to Harry Potter, former hero of all wizardkind, as a nutter, and Dumbledore as a crazy old man, Tonks was suspicious. She knew Fudge would go out of his way to ignore anything that could trouble the Ministry, and she refused to believe anything Rita Skeeter wrote, after reading a particularly nasty piece about her mum being in cahoots with her convict cousin, Sirius Black.

As she looked at the teeming pile of papers that sat upon her desk, she felt a sweeping feeling of anger. Who was the Ministry to ignore Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and Albus Dumbledore, the most brilliant headmaster that Hogwarts had ever had, just to wrap themselves in blissful ignorance? The least they could do would be to look at the signs around them. Did they not realize that the reemergence of Voldemort could be the worst thing to happen to the wizarding world in fourteen years? That ignoring the facts would only make them unprepared for future attacks?

She prodded at the stack of papers with her wand, sending them flying all over her cubicle. Unfortunately, Kingsley, a senior auror whom Tonks had great respect for, took that moment to pop his head in.

"Erm… Tonks? Are you busy?" he asked, with an amused glance at the once-orderly papers that now littered the floor.

She blushed. "No, just finishing up some paperwork."

"I see." He smirked. "Well then, I have a meeting to attend, and I think it might interest you. Care to join me?" he said, extending a rather large hand to help her out of her chair.

"I should probably finish up here," she said lamely, gesturing to the sheets of paper covering the carpet.

"Allow me," said Kingsley, and with a grand flourish of his wand, and all the papers zoomed back onto the desk to form a neat pile. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

_For what?_ Tonks wondered, but she trusted Kingsley enough to know that she would find out in due time. Whatever it was had to be more interesting than paperwork.

"Meet me outside, in the back," he whispered as they stepped out of the cubicle. "We shouldn't be seen leaving together." Tonks raised an eyebrow curiously. Kingsley straightened up. In a louder voice, he said, "Well, Miss Tonks, I think that we will be able to forgive your little mishap this time around, but do try and be more careful. Also, I expect the paperwork on yesterday's incident to be filled out in a timely manner."

Tonks was caught off guard, but responded quickly enough. "Yes sir, I'll have that for you as soon as possible. Thank you."

Kingsley turned on his heel and headed towards the elevator. She waited a few moments before following.

He was waiting for her when she got outside. "Come on, take my arm." She complied and soon felt the familiar squeeze of disapparation. When the world came back into focus again, she discovered that they were standing in the middle of a street in muggle London.

"Is it safe to apparate here? Are you sure no one saw us?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course, did you really think I would be so careless?" asked Kingsley, who sounded a bit angry at her accusation.

"N-no, of course not, I just-"

"Here, memorize this, and then burn it," he said, thrusting a small piece of paper into her hands.

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

She read it several times, and when she was sure she had it memorized, she muttered the incantation and held it up to the flame at the end of her wand. Then she looked up, and was shocked to see a house squeezing its way out between numbers 11 and 13, the inhabitants of which were completely oblivious to the fact that they were being shifted sideways.

"How…" she started, but Kingsley cut her off.

"I'll explain inside, we're late." He took her arm and led her to the front door, which seemed to recognize him. The door open with a series of clicks, and they were greeted by the sight of a gaunt looking man with ragged black hair who was attempting in vain to silence a screaming portrait of an old witch.

"HOW DARE YOU BRING THESE MUDBLOODS INTO MY HOUSE!" the portrait shouted, eyes rolling back in her head.

"Oh, shut up, mum!" The man cried exasperatedly.

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME – YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE!" He was shouting curses at the portrait now, muttering wildly under his breath. He finally managed to conjure some soundproof curtains, and tied them closed.

"There," he said panting. "Sorry about that, she's not too happy with the new arrangements." He turned to face them.

Tonks clamped a hand over her mouth in shock. "Sirius Black!" She exclaimed, reaching in her robes for her wand, which she then held at his throat. Kingsley grabbed her arm and forced it down, as she protested.

"Is this anyway to greet your long-lost cousin?" asked Black.

"Kingsley, what are you doing? What is he doing here? We need to apprehend him at once!" Tonks shouted.

"I guess you forgot to tell her, then," said Black, amused.

"Forgot to tell me what?" asked Tonks accusingly. "That you are working with dark wizards, supporters of You-Know-Who?"

Kingsley chuckled. "He's not a dark wizard. He was framed by Peter Pettigrew." She grew silent as he explained the situation, finally replacing her wand in her robes.

"So, let's try this again," said Sirius, grinning. "How's it going, cos?" Tonks grinned, wrapping him in a huge bear hug.

"I haven't seen you in forever. I can't believe you're innocent! Well, mom always said the Ministry was being ridiculous, but…" she broke off, embarrassed that she had not believed in him.

"Well, the evidence against me was pretty convincing, or so I've heard. But Dumbledore's on my side, and we've managed to convince everyone in the Order."

"But how did you escape? And what is the Order? Kingsley hasn't told me anything."

"There will be plenty of time to catch up later," Kingsley interrupted, "But the meetings about to start, and you don't want to be late for your first one."

"But what- " Tonks was cut off as the two men hurried her through a sliding door to her first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

_A/N: Yay, my first piece of fanfiction EVER! (As you can probably tell…) More to come, hopefully. Please review, even if you hated it. Much appreciated!_


	2. The Order of the Phoenix

**A/N: Still, nothing is mine. Alas.**

**A/N 2: I had a hard time writing this chapter. How can I have writer's block on chapter 2? Hopefully once I get all the background info done it will get more exciting!**

**Chapter 2: The Order of the Phoenix**

The room they entered appeared to be a kitchen, though it was utterly filthy and Tonks was not sure she would like to eat anything that had been cooked there. Upon seeing the look on her face, Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, it's been empty for many years. Remus-" he said, pointing to a tired-looking wizard in shabby robes, "-and I are working on getting it cleaned up and fit for human habitation. Brings back some memories, I dare say." As she looked around the place, Tonks realized that she did vaguely remember it, but only from pictures her mum had shown her. After Andromeda had married Tonks' muggleborn father, the Blacks had disowned her, thus Tonks never had cause to visit.

"This was where I grew up, in all of its splendor," Sirius said with a grimace, gesturing to the house around him. Tonks looked up, with something like sympathy in her eyes. They were both outcasts of the Black family.

Tonks looked around the room. A long, wooden table had been set up, surrounded by mismatched chairs. Several people were already seated, including the wizard Sirius had referred to as Remus, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (retired auror and Tonks' old mentor), Charlie Weasley, whom she had gone to Hogwarts with, and a number of other witches and wizards, young and old, whom Tonks did not recognize. She looked around the room uncomfortably, trying to decide where to sit, all the while feeling like a first year at Hogwarts once again. She bit down on her lip and moved to sit down across from Mad-Eye when Sirius grabbed her arm.

"Sit byme!" he exclaimed. "These meetings can be so boring with only Remus to talk to. He takes it all too seriously. Not that it isn't serious," he added hastily, "But you know…" Tonks grinned and attempted to pull out the wooden backed chair next to him, but somehow managed snag it on the old rug and send it toppling over with a great smash that alerted everyone to her clumsiness. She blushed crimson, the color clashing furiously with her trademark pink spikes. Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and the man next to him, though too polite to laugh, appeared to be fighting to suppress a grin.

"Remus," Sirius said to the wizard on his right, "Meet my dear cousin, Nymphadora Tonks. Tonks, this is Remus Lupin."

"Pleased to meet you, Nymphadora," Remus said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Tonks blushed even harder, if it was possible. "Tonks, call me Tonks," she said exasperatedly, glaring at Sirius. "He knows I hate that name, just does it to annoy me."

Remus gave her a knowing smile and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he does that. But it really is a lovely name. Nym-pha-dor-a." He stretched it out, allowing the syllables to roll of his tongue.

Tonks crossed her arms. "I see why you and Sirius are such good friends."

Sirius grinned. "That's my Moony."

Tonks looked back and forth between the two curiously. "Moony? That's a strange sort of nickname. Why-" She was cut off as Albus Dumbledore took a seat at the head of the table, and everyone snapped to attention. This was clearly a sign that the meeting was about to commence.

"First things first," Dumbledore, addressing the group, "As most of you are aware, we have a new member in our midst." He turned to Tonks, blue eyes twinkling. "Nymphadora Tonks is a junior auror and was recommended by Kingsley and Moody." Tonks looked over at Moody, surprised and honoured. "She would be a vital addition to the Order, especially due to her… unusual talent." Tonks grinned and screwed up her face in concentration. She heard the familiar _pop_ and her hair became midnight blue and wavy. She saw the look of surprise on many faces in front of her, and she noticed Charlie Weasley, who was all too familiar with Tonks' "talent", grinning at her.

Dumbledore glanced at Kingsley. "Did you explain it to her?" he asked.

"There was no time," Kingsley replied.

"Very well." Dumbledore turned back to Tonks. "To put it bluntly – the Order of the Phoenix is a secret organization dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort."

Several people, including Tonks, shuddered at the name.

"So he really is back, then?" Tonks asked uncertainly. She had thought there was a possibility, but to hear so for sure –

"Yes. Harry Potter witnessed his return after the Triwizard Tournament." Tonks took a deep breath. "So, if you would hear what we have to say during this meeting, you can decide if you would like to join." She nodded.

At that moment, the sliding door slid back open, allowing the entry of a late arrival.

"Ah, Severus," welcomed Dumbledore.

"_Snape_ is in the Order?" Tonks whispered to Sirius. He had been taught potions when she was at Hogwarts. Not her best subject, to say the least. Sirius, who was looking at Snape with hatred etched on his face, nodded.

Tonks was too busy contemplating this new development to hear what Dumbledore said next. When she looked up again, Snape was addressing the group.

"The Dark Lord still believes that few in the wizarding world are aware of his return. He is currently biding his time and quietly gathering followers."

_Snape was a spy?_ Tonks was shocked, to say the least. She couldn't help feel a small sense of respect for him. _But he's still a git._ All those years of humiliating her in potions could not be undone.

She attempted to pay strict attention during the meeting, to prove that she was mature and serious, but her mind kept wandering as Emmeline Vance droned on about guard duty schedules. Her eyes wandered around the room, trying to put as many names with the faces as she could. She recognized Arthur and Molly Weasley, Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones, Mundungus Fletcher, as well as several of her old professors from Hogwarts.

Tonks was snapped out of her thoughts by Dumbledore asking how cleaning up Headquarters was going.

"We've still got a ton of work to do, there's all sorts of junk in this old house, any help would be appreciated," Sirius said.

"Yes, we are all very appreciative of your cleaning services," Snape said acidly. Sirius glared at him, and Tonks saw Remus grab his arm in an attempt to restrain him from attacking Snape.

The rest of the meeting passed by fairly quickly, and Tonks, who had already resolved to join the Order, was determined to contribute in some manner. Thus, when Dumbledore announced that Harry Potter would need to be rescued from his Aunt and Uncle's house on Privet Drive and asked for volunteers, Tonks' hand was one of the first to shoot up in the air. She also offered to come up with a strategy to lure the muggles out of the house, as she had experience in dealing with her muggle grandparents.

After the meeting was over, and Tonks had talked to Dumbledore about joining the Order ("Abso-bloody-lutely I'll join!"), she sat in the living room with Remus and Sirius. Remus, who Tonks had deduced was the "responsible" of the two, was trying to explain the Order's method of communication, talking patronuses to her, while Sirius interrupted him at every available opportunity.

"So you know how to cast a patronus, right?" Remus asked. Tonks replied by muttering _Expecto patronum_ and a silvery butterfly burst out of the tip of her wand.

"A _butterfly_, Tonks? Isn't that a bit girly and graceful for you?" Sirius remarked. Tonks scowled at him. Remus ignored them both and continued.

"So then all you have to do is…" and he continued on, coaching her until she successfully got her silver butterfly to tell Sirius to "sod off!" Sirius stuck his tongue out at her.

"Well, I guess I'd better-" she yawned. "-Get going. But I'll be over after work tomorrow to help with the house cleaning."

Sirius groaned. "Do you _have_ to? It's much more fun having you here then when it's just me and Moony." Remus shot him a look.

Tonks, oblivious to this exchange, yawned again. "Yeah, I'd better get going. I've got work tomorrow." She groaned at the thought. "See you, Sirius." She turned to Remus. "Bye, Remus."

"Bye, cos."

"'Night, Nymphadora."

Her eyes flashed an angry red at the name as she disapparated.

Back at her flat, Tonks flopped down on her bed, wondering, with excitement and apprehension, what she had just gotten herself into.

_A/n: Yay! I got reviews! faints_

_This chapter felt a little awkward to me, so reviews (especially constructive criticism) appreciated. Thanks!_


	3. House Cleaning

**Disclamer: **Nope. Still not mine. Sigh

**Chapter 3: House Cleaning**

"Bloody hell, Sirius!" Tonks exclaimed upon entering the sitting room. "What died in here?" She pinched her nose.

"Hopefully Kreacher," Sirius smirked, "The house-elf. If you could call him that. With this place, he's more like an evil-lair elf. He's not much for cleaning."

"Don't be cruel, Sirius. You don't really think he's…" she glanced around the room nervously, "…Just lying around rotting somewhere, do you?"

"Nah, unfortunately. I saw him the other day. Muttered something nasty at me before running off to do who knows what in that cupboard of his. Anyway, let's get going." He turned toward the stairs and shouted up it. "Oi, Remus, get down here, you lazy git! We could really use your expertise."

"I'm coming, you arse-" Remus stopped halfway down the stairs as he spotted Tonks. "You'll have to excuse him, twelve years in Azkaban has really sapped him of his already poor social graces." Sirius smirked.

"Ignore him, no idea what he's talking about. Just jealous of my natural charm," Sirius said, winking at Tonks, who rolled her eyes. She could not help thinking that Azkaban had sapped him of _something_, he was dreadfully thin and his eyes seemed somehow empty. But not wanting to bring up bad memories and spoil the mood, she quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, be quiet, you two. Am I going to have to be the responsible one here?" Sirius snorted at the thought.

"You? Responsible? How old are you, twenty?"

Tonks huffed. "Twenty-two. Making it all the more ridiculous for me to have to look after you two, seeing as you are almost forty."

"Me, forty? Don't be ridiculous." Sirius looked offended. "I'm only 35. Remus here is a few months older than me, he's 36 already."

"Well then," Tonks said, "At least try to act like the mature adults I know you are. We're never going to get this done if you two don't stop bickering."

Sirius sniggered.

"What, pray tell, is so funny?" Tonks asked angrily.

"It's just…" Sirius broke off laughing again, "You're telling us to be mature, and yet you're the one with the neon green hair."

"I'll show you…" Tonks' hair was suddenly flaming red and she was reaching into her robes for her wand.

Remus stepped in between them. "I believe you are both wrong. It appears I am going to have to be the mature one here, only fitting as I am the oldest." Tonks put her wand back in her robes, and Sirius appeared to calm down slightly. "Now, let's get to work."

"Remus, come help me move this couch. There's something foul smelling under here," Sirius ordered, pointing to a moth-eaten, moldy, old green couch.

"Ergh, gross!" Tonks exclaimed. "You might consider investing in a new couch."

"Nonsense. Why use money when you have magic?" Sirius flicked his wand at the couch lazily. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" The couch levitated several feet in the air. Tonks craned her neck to peer at the ground under it. In addition to a thick layer of dust, several half-eaten pumpkin pasties, and some dead spiders, she spotted something green and slimy that appeared to be eating away at the wooden floor.

"It's a bundimum! Here, I've got it." Remus did some fancy wandwork and the creature disappeared. "You can release the couch now, Sirius." The couch fell down in roughly the same spot, with a sickening _Crack! _ Tonks cringed. Sirius shrugged.

"No harm, no foul. _Reparo!_" He added a few _Scorgify!_'s for good measure, and by the time he was done, the couch looked as neat as the one in Tonks' living room. Mind you, that was not saying much. Tonks plopped down on the couch and surveyed the rest of the sitting room.

"Looks like you've got doxies in your curtains," she gestured to some old, velvet drapes, "And there's something funny growing in that corner."

After several hours of hard work (amongst much bickering and several dodged hexes), Sirius proclaimed the sitting room "clean as it had ever been" and pronounced that they were ready to move on to the bedrooms that the Weasleys and Harry would be staying in. As they made their way up the stairs, Sirius said, "Tonks, you take the first on the left, Remus and I will take the one on the right, that was my mum's, and there's no telling what sort of dark objects she kept in there."

"Bullocks, I'm an auror, I've had more experience with that sort of thing than you. Plus, I'm not leaving you two together. You'll never get anything done." Tonks stated firmly, heading toward the room on the right with Sirius.

"You two have been bickering all afternoon as well. You're as likely to get anything done working with him as I am." Remus argued. Turning to Sirius, he said, "_You_ take the room on the left, and Tonks and I will take your mum's. Can you handle that?"

"Oh sure, if you wanted to be _alone_ with my dear cousin, all you had to do was ask." Sirius smirked. Remus blushed slightly.

"Oh grow up, cos. The fact remains that you have a hard time focusing when  
there are other people present to torture and humiliate. So you've got to work by yourself, sorry." There was a tone of finality in her voice, and Sirius didn't question her, but silently open the door to the left and headed in.

"After you, Nymphadora," Remus said softly, holding the door on the right open.

"Don't call me-"

"Sorry, Tonks, I know. Slip of the tongue." Remus reached for the door handle.

"Remus John Lupin, don't you dare close that door! I want to be able to hear you so I know there's nothing going on in there!" Sirius shouted from the other room. Remus rolled his eyes. Tonks snorted.

"As if!" she shouted back, and Remus looked slightly offended. _Oops._

"Er, not that I…" she mumbled, "I just meant that we've only just met, and I'm not that type of girl, if you know what I mean."

"What? Oh, of course. You're not really my type anyway," Remus said

"Ouch. What sort of 'type' is that?" Tonks looked slightly taken aback.

"Erm…"

"Well?" 

"You're so…" he trailed off, as if trying to find a way to word his thoughts that wouldn't offend the young witch. "…Young. And vibrant." He gestured to her hair, which was quickly turning red, and her attire, a bright purple Weird Sisters shirt and patched jeans. "And I'm so old. And… not vibrant. And I don't normally date."

Tonks looked him over. He had a point. His brown hair was streaked with gray, his face was lined. If she had to guess, she probably would have put him at at least forty-five. His clothes were bland and ratty.

"Correction: he _never_ dates," Sirius said from the other room.

"Point taken," Remus admitted.

"Sorry to break it to you mate," Sirius added, "But you're not that old. You're my age."

"Which is pretty old," Tonks retorted. "No offence, Remus. It's not such a bad thing, I'm always getting crap at work for being too young and 'vibrant' as you put it."

Sirius, offended at Tonks' remark, was silent. Tonks and Remus took that as a hint to get to work.

They worked on opposite sides of the room, the silence broken occasionally by a muttered spell or curse. Tonks tried to move as quickly as she could. The silence was uncomfortable, and she worried that her joking insult had offended him. Maybe she didn't know him well enough to make fun of him yet.

_He's not really _that_ old_, she thought. _It's not as if he's my dad's age or anything_.

Sick of worrying, she broke the silence. "I'm sorry about the 'old' remark. I don't really think you're old, I was just messing with Sirius…"

Remus was shaken out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, don't worry about it. I'm just feeling a little off today."

Tonks wondered why but did not pester him further. They finished clearing the room in silence, and together managed to finish it in only an hour. When they emerged to the kitchen, they found Sirius sitting in a rickety chair, peering over a Chinese takeout menu.

"_Finally_," he said, "Took you long enough. Care for some dinner?"

Tonks pulled out a seat next to him, and plopped down. "Sounds great, I'm starved."

"Erm, can they deliver here?" Remus asked doubtfully.

"No, of course not. That's why you two are going to pick it up for me."

Tonks groaned. "I'm exhausted. Why can't you go get it?"

Sirius sighed. "I would, but I'm a convicted felon. Can't leave the house."

"Oh, right." Tonks blushed. "So, what are we ordering?"

"Hmmm…" Sirius pondered. "How about fried rice, Egg Foo Young, and some of that stuff," he said, poking at a dish with an impossible to pronounce name. "It's a muggle place, but it's about a five minute walk from Diagon Alley, so you can apparate and walk from there."

Tonks sighed and pulled herself up from the chair. "Come on Remus, let's go. I can't carry all that by myself, I'd trip and spill it all on some poor old muggle." He took her arm, and with a _pop_ they disappeared.

_A/N: Thanks to HP Lexicon for the info on Bundimums, as I have misplaced my copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. As always, reviews appreciated!_


	4. Late Night Discussions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zip. Kind of sad, actually.**

**Chapter 4: Late Night Discussions**

"And then Moony here-" Sirius said as he shoveled some more fried rice into his mouth and gestured wildly at his friend, who was turning pinker by the moment, "Ever the dutiful prefect, hears noises coming from the broom closet, and opens the door to find James and Lily going at it, and is too shocked to anything but gape."

"Well, I was surprised. I thought she was still maintaining that she hated his guts. And she was a prefect, for Merlin's sake! She should have known better!" Remus protested.

Tonks snorted. "Don't tell me you've never snogged anyone in a broom cupboard, Remus!"

"Well, I…" he trailed off. "Have you?"

"Mmmm… that's for me to know and you to find out. Or not."

"Oh come on," Sirius pestered. "We've been regaling you with Marauder escapades for an hour now, it's your turn!"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to have a couple more glasses of firewhiskey in me before I answer that question."

"Oooh, didja hear that, Remus? Must be juicy," Sirius said, filling her glass up. "So? Who was it?"

Tonks took a sip. "Charlie Weasley. Fourth Year."

Sirius' jaw dropped. "What happened? Did you go out? Do you still…"

"It just kind of… happened. We were in the same year, he was in Gryffindor, I was in Hufflepuff. I was hiding from Filch, and I knocked a broom over. He heard me and opened the door, and Filch rounded the corner, so I shut it quickly, and we were pressed together, because it was so small, y'know? And then I just kind of… kissed him. And knocked over several brooms in the process. I guess Filch must've heard, because he wrenched the door open and caught us. We got a month of Saturday detentions, and I was so embarrassed by the situation that I just kind of avoided him for the rest of the year."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Man, kind of reminds me of this girl, Marguerite Pritchard…" He proceeded to tell them about Marguerite, as well as several other girls he had snogged in broom cupboards. Tonks laughed uproariously, but could not help noticing that Remus seemed especially quiet and withdrawn. After Sirius finished his tale about Aimee Lyell, who had nearly bitten his tongue off when James barged in to ask if Sirius had seen his potions textbook, she asked Remus if he was feeling alright.

"Well, it's the full moon tomorrow, innit?" Sirius asked casually.

"The full moon? Why would that…" Tonks trailed off. The nickname "Moony" suddenly made sense. "Oh. Oh!"

Remus glared at Sirius.

"You didn't know? Oops. Sorry about that." Sirius grinned apologetically.

"I mean, it's not a big deal," said Tonks nervously. "Well obviously it is a big deal for you, what with the transformations and Ministry decrees…, but it doesn't matter to me that you're a werewolf…" she trailed off again, blushing. "Sorry, I'm being horribly insensitive."

Remus shook his head. "It's fine, really. Yours was one of the best reactions I've ever gotten, actually. Usually there's running and screaming involved."

Sirius laughed again. "Moony fancies himself a very frightening creature."

Remus looked at him seriously. "I'm dangerous."

"Well, as it is not the full moon _tonight_, I see no reason to run screaming," Tonks said matter-of-factly, and she quickly changed the topic to Quidditch.

A bottle of firewhiskey (that Tonks suspected had been magically refilled several times) later, Sirius passed out on the kitchen table. Tonks looked at her cousin worriedly and poked him with her wand. He grunted, but his eyes remained closed.

"Will he be alright?" Tonks asked.

"S'not like this is the first time it's happened," Remus said, cocking his head. "At least this time we're here to help get him into bed. And I can brew him a hangover potion in the morning."

The thought that Sirius had been drinking alone made Tonks strangely sad. "Must be tough, stuck in this rotten house all day."

Remus nodded. "I've been staying with him, but it's not enough. You've heard him, I'm too boring."

Tonks laughed quietly. "You're not boring. He's just… a lot to handle. I could come over sometimes, keep you guys company. If you want."

"Thanks, that'd be great. I'm sure Sirius would appreciate it. You should here him go on about you: 'My little cousin, the auror!' He refers to you as the 'pink sheep' of the Black family." Tonks laughed.

"Pink sheep, that's me." She screwed up her nose and gave herself hooves and a pink, wooly coat. Remus grinned appreciatively.

"We really should get him to bed," he said, getting up from his chair and pulling hers out.

"Do you think he can make it up all those stairs? Maybe we should just put him on the sofa."

"Nah, it'll be fine." Remus muttered a levitating spell and guided Sirius to the stairs. Tonks sneezed, and Remus jumped, causing Sirius' head to bonk against the ceiling. Remus and Tonks winced. "On second thought, maybe we'd better put him on the sofa." Remus lowered Sirius to the floor carefully, where he and Tonks grabbed him under the arms and carried him over to the sitting room, where they laid him gently down on the sofa.

Tonks covered Sirius with a blanket and patted her cousin on the head fondly.

"He looks so peaceful. Like you could almost forget all those years in Azkaban." She sighed.

Remus looked up at her. "He's had a hard time since he's escaped, you know. Not that he talks about it; he's always acting like everything is the same as it's ever been. But we're not that young anymore. Too much has happened."

Tonks smiled sadly. "No one stays young forever, Remus, especially with a war going on." They were silent for a moment. "Well, we'd better clean up the kitchen." They trudge over to the kitchen, the discussion hanging like a lead weight in the air between them. Tonks disposed of the empty boxes of Chinese food, and Remus cleaned up the spilled firewhiskey and put their glasses in the sink.

"Er… Nymphadora?" Remus' voice startled Tonks so much that she dropped the dirty silverware she was carrying, and it hit the tile floor with a series of loug _clangs_. She was too flustered to reprimand him for using her first name.

"Oops. Hope that didn't wake him up," Tonks said nervously.

"Nah," Remus assured her, "He was out like a light. Didn't even wake up when I banged his head on the ceiling, remember?"

"Oh yeah." She chuckled. "So, what were you going to say, before I made a fool of myself?"

Remus bit his lip. "I was just wondering… are you really alright with the whole werewolf thing? I'm not judging you if you aren't. Lots of people are afraid of-"

"Remus Lupin! Of course I'm alright with it! Did you really think that I would be narrow-minded enough to judge you based on your behaviour one day a month?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I should have known. That is exactly how Sirius reacted." Tonks grinned proudly, and then brought her hand up to muffle a yawn.

"I guess I'd better g-get going," she said, yawning again.

"Probably."

"Well, since tomorrow's not a good day for you, I'll come by on Wednesday, then."

"See you on Wednesday."

"'Night Remus."

"'Night Nymphadora."

"Don't call me-"

"Right. Sorry. Bye, Tonks."

"Bye." And she disapparated with a _pop_.

_I think we might just be friends, _she thought, with a grin, as she closed her eyes.

_A/n: Reviews appreciated, as always. I felt like this scene has been done several times, but I still needed to put it in here so the story would make sense._


	5. Guard Duty

**Disclaimer: **Well, I once had a dream that I was J.K Rowling. But I woke up.

**Chapter 5: Guard Duty**

Tonks tapped her quill against her head and wondered, _if I were a muggle, what would it take to get me away from my house long enough for a mismatched group of people in cloaks to come and kidnap my nephew?_ She looked down at the piece of parchment on her desk, which currently read, "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley," and sighed. What had she been thinking when she volunteered for this? She didn't know these people, or what they were interested in.

A soft tapping noise distracted Tonks from her thoughts, and she looked up to see her boss, Scrimgeour, peering over the cubicle wall at her. She quickly hid the letter under a stack of reports she should have been working on.

"Hello, sir. Anything I can do for you?" Tonks forced a dutiful smile onto her face and was grateful that she had chosen a more subdued chestnut brown hair color today.

"Mr. Kingsley has informed me that you were late for work this morning, and that the reports you have been turning in are becoming increasingly late and sloppy. I must warn you that unless your work improves, you may be put on suspension." Scrimgeour spoke as if to a misbehaving child, and Tonks silently cursed Kingsley. She knew that they had to keep up an appearance, but couldn't he cut her a break? She had been late for work because she had stayed at Grimmauld Place helping Remus and Sirius clean up yet again. It was becoming sort of a habit for the three of them, cleaning up, eating takeout for dinner, and then staying up late talking. The reports were sloppy because… well, frankly, Tonks had more important things on her mind. She made a mental note to ask Kingsley to go a bit easier on her, she couldn't afford to lose her job, and she knew it made her an asset to the Order.

"I'm sorry, sir. I understand. I'll work harder."

She breathed a sigh of relief as he turned the corner. _Off the hook, for now at least_. She set to work on the reports, deciding to wait and ask Sirius' advice on the letter to the Dursleys later.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So," Tonks said, as she settled into her favorite armchair, "Have either of you met these muggles? What are they interested in?"

"Dunno," Sirius muttered.

"Come on," she urged, "After the whole fiasco with the dementors, Dumbledore said he needs this by tomorrow."

"Erm… Harry mentioned that they're rather neat. And his aunt spends a lot of time in the garden."

"Brilliant!" Tonks exclaimed. "How about a lawn competition?"

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "A _lawn_ competition? How boring."

Tonks sighed. "Well, they have to amuse themselves somehow, don't they?" She dipped her quill and began to compose the letter, as Remus and Sirius watched over her shoulder.

"You spelled 'prestigious' wrong," Remus pointed out. "It's g-_i_-o-u-s, not g-_e_-o-u-s."

"Bloody hell!" Tonks growled. "It's impossible to get anything done with you two breathing down my neck.

"Sorry," Remus muttered, looking abashed. "I just thought it would look more professional if you didn't have spelling mistakes."

Tonks scowled at him. "Prat."

"Ignore him. He's in that professor-y mood," Sirius smirked.

"I am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not. This is ridiculous. Tonks, just give me that paper when you're done and I'll look over it for you."

Tonks crossed her arms. "I am perfectly capable of writing this letter. Leave me alone."

"Nymphadora, you're being ridiculous. Everyone could use a spellchecker from time-to-time," Remus said.

Tonks' eyes flashed red. "Don't call me that."

"Sorry. It slipped. But you're acting like a first-year." Tonks sniffed and turned back to the letter, finishing a sentence so ferociously that she poked a hole in the parchment with her quill. Sirius snorted. Tonks glared at him.

"Tonks."

She ignored him.

"Tonks. _Tonks. _TONKS!"

"Bloody hell, Remus! I'll rewrite it afterwards. Why do you always have to be so-" She stopped as she spotted Arthur Weasley's head in the fireplace.

"Wotcher, Arthur," she blushed.

"Evening, Tonks," he nodded, or at least Tonks thought he did, it was hard to tell with a disembodied, flaming head. "We need you two to cover guard duty. Hestia had a family emergency, and Dumbledore doesn't want Mundungus in charge of anything after the dementor incident."

"Us two, meaning…?"

"Me and you, of course," Remus answered, "seeing as Sirius still isn't allowed to leave the house."

"Right." She nodded. This would be her first guard duty for the Order, but she had done stakeouts for the Ministry before. They usually involved little action, and Tonks always found it hard to stay awake.

"So, you're to be outside Private Drive at 8 p.m. sharp," Arthur said. "Good luck." And he vanished with a pop.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Ow, you're stepping on my toe!" Tonks gasped.

"Sorry, I can't see you! We need to be quiet, they'll hear us," Remus muttered.

Tonks muttered a quick spell and drew a circle around them in the air. "Now they can't hear anything inside this."

"Nice," Remus whispered appreciatively.

"You don't need to whisper, you know. They can't hear anything. I can shout as loud as I want to." She proceeded to demonstrate. "REMUS LUPIN IS A GIANT PRAT!"

He winced. "That wasn't necessary. I believe you. It's just a force of habit."

There was an awkward silence for several minutes, during which Tonks began to hum.

"What's that?" Remus asked. Tonks stopped humming.

"Huh?"

"That song. It sounds familiar."

"Some muggle song. You wouldn't know it."

"How would you know?" he retorted.

"I guess you could… I just assumed…"

"So, what is it?"

"The Beatles."

"Singing beetles?"

"No. It's a band. Told you wouldn't know it." They were quiet for several more minutes.

"So, are we going to be like this all night?" Remus asked.

"Like what?" Tonks asked.

"Arguing over stupid stuff."

She sighed. "Sorry, I've just had a cruddy day, I might lose my job, my mum's been on me about visiting again, and my landlady's threatening to kick me out if I don't pay the rent."

"Chocolate?" he offered, pulling a bar of Honeyduke's out of his pocket.

"Uh, sure," She wondered briefly if a passerby would have been able to see the "floating" bar of chocolate in the air, as both she and Remus were disillusioned.

"It makes everything better."

"That it does," she said, breaking off a piece. "You want some?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_10 o'clock_

"So, what did Sirius mean when he said you were in 'professor mood'?" Tonks questioned.

"I taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts for a year." Remus answered.

"Ooh, cool! It was always my favorite subject. But why only for a year?"

Remus was silent for a moment.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want," Tonks said quickly. "That was awfully nosy of me."

"No, it's no big deal. I forgot my Wolfsbane Potion one night. Nothing happened, but it could have. I resigned before they had the chance to fire me."

"But surely Dumbledore wouldn't have-"

Remus cut her off. "He would've had to. Snape made sure that news about my 'furry little problem' was spread around. Parents wouldn't want a monster teaching their kids."

"You're not a monster!" Tonks exclaimed. "Don't ever say that. You're just a person, like me or anyone else."

He smiled sadly. "If only the rest of the world felt that way."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_1 o'clock_

"Let's play a game," Tonks suggested. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because otherwise, I'm going to fall asleep. What time does the next shift get here, anyway?"

"Emmeline and Sturgis should be here at six."

Tonks yawned. "Damn, I've got to be at work at seven thirty. When am I supposed to sleep?" Remus shrugged sympathetically.

"So, what game did you want to play?"

"Would you actually deign to play a game with me, professor?"

"I suppose, if you think you could actually have fun playing with an old geezer like me, _Nymphadora_."

Tonks scowled, but did not retort. She figured she deserved it.

"How about…Go fish? I can make it so that only we can see the cards." she conjured a pack of cards. He gave her a strange look, but did not argue.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_4 o'clock_

"Just one hour to go," Tonks said yawning. They had gone through every card game either of them had ever heard of, as well as several rounds of Twenty Questions.

"You can take a nap, you know. I'll keep watch and wake you up if anything happens."

Tonks shook her head. "I never sleep on the job."

"If you don't rest now, you will fall asleep at work later." Remus gave her a soft smile. "I'm offering you my shoulder."

"Really, Remus, I'm not tired at all, I'll be-" she yawned, "Just fine."

"Sure." He said sarcastically. "I wouldn't tell anyone, and I'd wake you up before the others get here. No one would have to know."

"I would know. You would know."

Remus sighed. "Nymphadora, you really need to get some sleep."

She groaned. "I told you not to call me that."

He grinned mischievously. "But, Nymphadora, it's your name!"

"Don't test me. I'm an auror."

"I've got an idea. How about I promise not to call you Nymphadora if you go to sleep."

She paused for a moment. "How does my going to sleep benefit you?"

"Uh, I don't have to listen to you talk anymore?" She smacked his arm. "No, really, _Tonks_, I'm worried about you."

"Alright, but only to put your mind to ease. And don't say I've never done you any favors."

She rested her head on his shoulder, and fell quickly into a deep slumber. But before she fell asleep, she could have sworn she heard him whisper, "Sweet dreams, Nymphadora."

_A/n: Is it just me, or did that chapter seem really long? _I'm_ tired now. As always, reviews (positive and negative) much appreciated._


	6. Breakfast and Thank Yous

**A/n: Wow, 40 reviews! You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer:** Let's just say that if I were Jo Rowling, I can think of at least two characters that would have had different fates in _Deathly Hallows_…

**Chapter Six: Breakfast and Thank Yous**

"Tonks… It's time to wake up."

"Mmmmmm… Go away." She attempted to ignore the voice that threatened to disturb her slumber.

"Sorry, can't do that." The voice was persistent.

"Ugh… Five more minutes?" she grumbled.

"Emmeline and Sturgis are going to be here any minute, and I promised I'd wake you up." Tonks decided that feigning sleep was her best option. She was rewarded with a poke in the stomach.

"Ow!" her eyes flew open, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. When the scene before her came into focus, all she saw was the empty porch step next to her. In fact… she couldn't even see her own hands.

"Wotcher! Who's there? What's going on?" She reached for the wand in her back pocket.

"Tonks, it's Remus Lupin, remember? We were on guard duty. We're disillusioned." The voice was coming from her left. Squinting, she could make out the faint outline of a man.

"Oh, right, of course. Silly me." They heard a faint pop.

"That should be our replacements." Remus said, and they greeted the other disillusioned pair. After confirming that they were, in fact, Emmeline Vance and Sturgis Podmore, Remus and Tonks apparated back to Grimmald Place.

Once they were safely inside, she felt the tap of Remus' wand on her back, and the faint trickling sensation that she knew meant that the disillusionment charm was being lifted. She looked up and found that Remus, too, had become visible again.

"Wotcher, Remus. Long time no see." Tonks quipped.

He chuckled. "Likewise. Do you…erm…need to change before work?" He glanced at her attire: an old, faded t-shirt, tattered jeans, and sneakers. She blushed.

"Probably, but I've got time for a cup of coffee. I can stop by my flat on the way to the Ministry."

When they reached the kitchen, Tonks was surprised to find Sirius sitting at the table, reading the daily prophet and sipping coffee from a mug.

"Morning, cos," she said, "Why are you up so early? Normal people who haven't just spent a night on guard duty ought to be asleep. At least, I would be."

"Couldn't sleep," Sirius grunted. "And what with you two gone, I didn't have anyone to talk to."

"Sorry, Padfoot. But it was Order business, unavoidable. You know that," Remus said.

Sirius grunted in affirmation. "I don't see why I couldn't have gone, you're disillusioned anyway. It's not a big deal."

Remus shook his head. "You know those spells can be reversed. It's not like it's exciting, anyway. And we're exhausted too; neither of us got a wink of sleep either." Tonks glanced at him, surprised, before she remembered that he had promised not to tell anyone about her "nap." She didn't mind Sirius knowing, it might help assure him that guard duty really was as boring as they all said it was, but at the same time, she found that she enjoyed the fact she and Remus had a secret.

"Coffee?" asked Tonks, changing the subject. Sirius pointed to a pot on the counter, and she picked it up and was carrying it back to the table when she slipped. Remus reacted quickly enough to catch Tonks around the waist, but the coffee pot fell to the floor, shattering. Hot coffee splashed everywhere, soaking Tonks' jeans and the hem of Remus' robe. Sirius, who had been watching this scene, let out a bark of laughter.

"Very smooth, cos."

Tonks turned crimson. "I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz." She knelt down and began to pick up the pieces of the pot. Remus got down to help her.

"Don't worry about. Happens to me all the time." Remus offered, trying to ease her embarrassment.

Tonks looked up at him, doubtingly. "Does it really?"

"Well, no. But you're exhausted. It's understandable." He stood up, and stuck out his hand to help her up. She grasped it and pulled firmly, but somehow managed to slip in the coffee, and she landed back on the hard floor, pulling Remus down with her.

Sirius let out a howl of laughter. After a moment, Tonks and Remus joined him.

"Maybe we should just-" Tonks broke off, giggling, "-eat breakfast down here. Before I can do anymore damage."

"No, you two had better get up," Sirius said, vanishing the coffee with his wand. "Molly Weasley's due to arrive soon, she'll-"

He was cut off by the doorbell, announcing the arrival of the aforementioned Mrs. Weasley, as well as several redheaded children.

"IS THE ABOMINATION BRINGING MORE FILTH INTO MY HOUSE?" Tonks winced.

"Oh dear, they woken Sirius' mum," Remus sighed. "Let's go shut her up, shall we?"

They proceeded to the front hall to greet the Weasleys after wrestling the curtains over a screaming Mrs. Black.

"Wotcher, Molly!" Tonks said. "And you've brought…"

"Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. And this is Hermione Granger," she added, gesturing to a bookish-looking brunette hiding amidst the Weasley children. Of the group, only Ron and Hermione did not appear to be eyeing Sirius warily.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tonks, and this is Remus Lupin," she said, jerking her thumb in his direction.

"Professor Lupin! Wonderful to see you again." Hermione exclaimed. Tonks looked at him quizzically.

"I taught them all at Hogwarts," he explained.

"And I believe you've met my cousin Siri-"

"Sirius Black!" Fred shouted. "The criminal who escaped from Azkaban, the one who killed-"

"Calm down, George," Remus said. "He was innocent, we can explain."

"I'm Fred. _That_'s George."

"You know, it would save me a great deal of mental anguish if we could start informing people that I am not a mass murderer before they arrive at my house," Sirius muttered.

"Terribly sorry, Sirius. It slipped my mind." Molly apologized. She turned to Remus and Tonks. "You two must be exhausted. Have you had any breakfast yet?"

"Well," Sirius said, "I made some coffee, but-"

"-- We already drank it all." Remus cut him off before he could finish, sparing Tonks some embarrassment.

"No matter, we can put on another pot," Molly replied cheerfully. "And you're looking dreadfully thin, Remus. I think I'll whip up some pancakes and sausage as well, and maybe some scrambled eggs…" she trailed off as she headed towards the kitchen.

"So…" Tonks said, looking around at the Weasley children and Hermione. "Welcome to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Formerly known as the home of the noble and most ancient house of Black," Sirius added.

"Well, it's certainly ancient," Tonks murmured.

"So…this is your home, Sirius?" asked Hermione.

"It was my parents' house. Never really my home though." He shuddered. He glanced at their array of trunks. "Remus, Tonks, and I can show you where you're staying."

As they made their way up the stairs, the boys lugging trunks behind them, Sirius attempted to make pleasant conversation.

"So, Tonks here tells me that she knew your brother Charlie at Hogwarts." Remus stifled a laugh. Tonks glared at Sirius.

"Oh did you?" Ginny asked excitedly, "I've always wondered what he was like at school."

Tonks blushed. "Erm…well…I didn't know him that well, I mean, we were in different houses, and all."

Sirius scoffed. "Oh, come on, _Nymphadora_. From what I've heard, you knew him pretty well…"

While Tonks was pondering her response, Remus cut in. "Here, you will have these four rooms on the left. And we should hurry back down to the kitchen, don't want to keep Molly waiting." Tonks threw him a grateful look as they headed down the stairs.

0o0o0o0

"This breakfast is delicious, Molly," Remus said politely. "Don't you think, Tonks?" She didn't answer. He looked over, only to discover her face down in her plate.

"Tonks?" he prodded her gently, but she still didn't stir. "Nymphadora, wake up."

"Mhmrhmhm… don't call me that, Remus. You promised."

"You're delirious. You've got no idea what you're talking about."

"No, I remember. You said you wouldn't call me that if I…" she broke off, seeming to realize that everyone was staring at her and that she had bits of egg in her hair. "Wotcher, everyone. These eggs are great, Molly."

Molly eyed her worriedly. "Dear, maybe you should stay home from work today and get some sleep."

Tonks shook her head. "Can't. I'm already in trouble with Scrimgeour for being late and turning in sloppy reports. I can't afford to be put on probation." She glanced at her watch. "Ugh, I've got to go. See you later." She got up and left the kitchen. Remus followed her out.

"Nympha-" she glared at him. "Sorry, _Tonks_. You can't go into work. You look awful."

"Gee, thanks, Remus. With your good manners and natural charms, you must be beating off the girls with a stick," she said sarcastically. He looked shocked for a moment, and she realized she had struck a sore spot. Her look softened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Don't worry about it. Not like it's not true. Anyway, I just meant that you're exhausted. And we have to go get Harry from Privet Drive tonight." He looked at her concernedly.

"I've got to go, we get paid soon and I need the money for the rent. This job is important."

He sighed. "At least let me help you out a little." He waved his wand and the egg vanished from her hair. "I'll be right back." He dashed into the kitchen, returning with a vial, which he handed to her. "Pepperup Potion. It's better than coffee," he explained. She quickly downed it, and instantly felt more awake.

"Way better than coffee," she grinned. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He grinned back.

"For everything, I mean. The nap, and catching me, and the coffee, and the Charlie thing..." She took a step forward to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Anytime," he said softly. Tonks noticed his ears had gone slightly pink, which only made her smile widen.

"Bye, Remus. See you tonight." she said, still grinning like an idiot.

"Goodbye, Nymphadora." She rolled her eyes but did not object as she disapparatated with a sharp _pop_.

_A/n: I know that chapter took a little longer than the others… hopefully it was worth it. Sadly, it will only get worse from here, as I start my junior year (aka "Year of the Nervous Breakdown") in two weeks. But, rest assured, I fully intend to continue this through the end of OotP. At least. I don't know if I could write the HBP part, it is so depressing, at least until the end, as far as Remus and Tonks are concerned. And Deathly Hallows: ………… _


	7. The NonDate

**Disclaimer:** I could never think up these brilliant characters. I'm just playing with them.

**Chapter 7: The Non-Date**

"So, I never got to ask you yesterday," Sirius started, as he poured himself some more firewhiskey, "How was guard duty with Remus last night?"

"You did ask us. It was boring." Tonks rolled her eyes. "You didn't miss anything, really. Where is Remus, anyway?"

"Upstairs, reading. Don't change the subject."

"I wasn't – what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about whatever you did that caused my dear friend Moony to act like a smiling git all day." Tonks was caught off guard.

"Why does it have to be because of something _I_ did?" she asked.

"Well, you spend all night with the guy, and then he's exceedingly happy the next morning…" Tonks slapped his arm.

"Nothing happened, Sirius. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure," he muttered sarcastically.

Tonks glared at him. "Sirius! We were on a mission for the Order! Do you really believe that either one of us would be so unprofessional?"

Sirius seemed to contemplate this idea. "Well, probably not. But you are related to me. And Remus has proven that as well-mannered as he seems, he can be occasionally led astray."

Tonks raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying Remus generally shags girls when he is supposed to be working?"

"Sadly, no. That's something I would do. Remus never really dated, unless we made him."

Tonks looked at him quizzically. "Why not? He's a perfectly nice bloke."

"That's all you can say? Perfectly nice?" Sirius snorted.

"You know what I mean." Tonks blushed. "But why doesn't he date?"

"The whole werewolf thing, I suppose." Sirius said, quietly.

"There must be plenty of women willing to overlook that! He's a great guy, once you get past that."

"You'd be surprised," Sirius said sadly. "Lycanthropy is not a quality most witches look for in a boyfriend." Tonks stared down at her feet.

"Their loss." She muttered.

"Aha!" Sirius shouted. "So you admit it?"

"Admit what?" Tonks asked incredulously.

"That something happened between you two. That you, my dear cousin, fancy Remus Lupin!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Tonks said. "We're friends. Nothing is going on."

"You said he was a great guy."

"He _is_ a great guy. But we're just friends."

"So all that talk about not caring about his lycanthropy was just talk? You're just as prejudiced as the rest of the world!"

"What? Sirius! That's not true. You know that."

"Then why won't you just admit that you fancy him?" Sirius pestered.

"This is ridiculous. I'm leaving." Tonks got up and left the room, apparating back to her flat.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Tonks was mad that she had let Sirius get her all worked up like that.

_Stupid_, she chastised herself. _That only served to make him believe he was right._ She shook her head. He wasn't. He couldn't be.

_But had he really been smiling all day after she kissed him?_ _And if so, why had he gone upstairs after dinner instead of staying to talk to her and Sirius?_

Tonks shook her head. She was being ridiculous. _She only kissed him on the cheek, after all. It was no big deal_. She flopped down on the sofa. _This has got to stop,_ she thought. She was acting like a teenager. It was worse than how she had acted after she kissed Charlie Weasley in the broom cupboard. And she had fixed that by ignoring him for an entire year.

Tonks closed her eyes and resolved not to think about it again.

0o0o0o0o0o0

This worked, for the most part. Tonks did notice that Remus acted a little differently around her. Even though they didn't have many chances to talk since Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys had moved in, he always seemed to be right behind her to catch her when she tripped, to offer a steady hand when she poured tea. He watched her from across the table as she did impressions with her nose. And Sirius always seemed to be there to smirk at them. Tonks always ignored him when the subject was brought up.

The next time Tonks got to talk to Remus was after they dropped the kids off at Kings Cross. They were left standing at Platform 9 ¾ after everyone else had already disapparated when she approached him.

"Wotcher, Remus! Got any plans for this afternoon?"

"Hm… Well, seeing as I'm an unemployed werewolf with no social life…" he said sarcastically.

"I'll take that as a no, then. It's been awhile since we've talked, what with the full moon, and my job. So, what do you say? Fancy a stroll down Hogsmede with your old Auntie Dora?" she winked. She was still morphed to appear like a short, wrinkled, old lady.

"That might be a little weird. How about a walk with my friend Nymphadora Tonks? Unless she doesn't want to be seen in public with a werewolf."

"Don't be silly, Remus. That can be arranged," she said, as she slipped her arm through his. "As long as you don't call me Nymphadora."

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Do you think Sirius would prefer chocolate frogs or sugar quills?" Tonks asked, as she examined a jar of the latter in Honeyduke's.

"Definitely chocolate frogs," Remus said, picking a couple off the shop.

"I agree. Chocolate is my favorite."

"And it can come in handy. I always carry some around."

"I know. You gave me some once, when we were on guard duty together." She picked up a giant bar of Honeyduke's finest and paid for it and the chocolate frogs. She handed it to Remus as they headed out of the shop. "To replenish your supply," she explained.

"You don't have to," he said.

"Yes I do. What if you run into another mad witch and you don't have any chocolate to calm her down?"

Remus shook his head. "But really, this is much bigger than the bar I gave you. And I have more at home, honestly."

Tonks sighed. "Just take the chocolate, Remus." He took it and put it in his pocket. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He shook his head slowly. "Good. Now come on, I'm thirsty. Let's go grab a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Tonks sipped her butterbeer (which Remus had paid for, despite her protests) and cocked her head thoughtfully.

"Hey, Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Come here often?" He snorted. "Sorry, just trying to break the silence. You seemed very deep in thought."

"And so you decided to interrupt me with a cheesy pickup line?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow. "How thoughtful of you."

"Sorry. Just wondering if it was anything you'd like to share." Remus was silent. Tonks noticed that his ears had gone slightly pink. "Or not," she added quickly.

"No, just thinking about…Sirius."

Tonks raised her eyebrows. "Sirius? Really? Not that it's any of my business or anything, but what exactly were you thinking about my cousin?"

Remus looked horrified. "Not like that, Tonks. Just…about terrible it is for him to be stuck at home all the time," he finished lamely. Tonks did not appear to notice.

"Oh, I know. I feel awful, really. I mean, he was alright while Harry was here but now that he's gone…"

"Well it helps that you come around so often. I – Sirius really appreciates it. And so do I. We enjoy your company, is what I mean to say."

Tonks grinned. "No problem. You guys are great fun. Do you reckon we should get back to Grimmauld Place soon, so as not to leave him alone?"

"Probably," Remus said, almost reluctantly (or was Tonks just imagining it?).

"Or we could have one more butterbeer," Tonks offered.

"Okay," Remus agreed, "But I'm buying."

"Nope, you bought the last round. This one's mine," Tonks argued.

"But I'm the guy!" Remus exclaimed.

Tonks narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me you buy into that antiquated ritual. Besides, those rules only apply to dates. And this is not a date. And even if it were, I did the asking, so I ought to pay."

"But you just said it wasn't a date."

"But I still get to pay."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Three hours later, Tonks had decided that had been longest it had ever taken her to drink a butterbeer.

"It probably had something to do with the fact that it was the first time you managed not to spill it all over yourself," Remus joked.

"Very funny." Tonks said.

"I know I am," he said with a cocky grin.

"Let's walk around a little longer. It's a nice night." Tonks felt slightly guilty about leaving Sirius at Grimmauld Place, but they were having a great time. She couldn't remember laughing this much, ever.

Remus agreeably slipped his arm through hers. "So, Miss Tonks, tell me about your Hogwarts Years."

She cocked her head curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Sirius has told you a ton of stories about the Marauders, but I still haven't heard that much about you as a kid. Other than the Charlie Weasley story." Tonks blushed.

"My Hogwarts history isn't quite as interesting as yours, I'm afraid. There's not much to tell."

"Oh, come on. Of course there is! I can't imagine that Nymphadora Tonks never got into trouble."

"Well, I once hexed this kid who called me Nymphadora…"

"Come on!"

"Let me think. Well there was this time I morphed into Professor McGonagall…" She told him the story, reenacting particularly humourous parts. After she finished, he quizzed her about her best friend, her favorite classes, whether she had played Quidditch ("Me? On a broom? Are you joking?"), and on and on. Tonks had never had someone show so much interest in her life.

They walked all around Hogsmede, finally ending up near the Shrieking Shack.

"That's where I transformed, when I was at Hogwarts. That was before the Wolfsbane Potion," Remus said quietly.

Tonks was silent, looking up at the "haunted" house.

"Here, come on. I'll show you." He took her hand and led her towards the Whomping Willow. He pushed a knot on the trunk of the tree, and it froze.

"How did you-?" Tonks looked at him curiously, as he tugged her down below the tree. They climbed through a dark passageway, lit only by the light from their wands, before they finally reached a ladder. Remus ascended first, and then held out his hand to help Tonks up.

"We could have apparated, but this was how I used to come." Tonks looked around the sparse room. There was a broken chair in the corner, and the windows were boarded up. The floorboards were scratched up.

"It hasn't been used in awhile," Remus explained. Tonks looked up at him, and was overcome by the desire to give him a hug. She flung her arms around his neck.

"You're incredible, Remus." He pulled back long enough to give her a confused look. "Just thought you ought to know," she added, blushing slightly.

"I don't think anyone's ever called me incredible before," Remus murmured through her hair.

"Glad to know I'm the first." Tonks grinned.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Where've you two been?" Sirius demanded, as they entered the kitchen. "It's nearly midnight."

"Sorry, _dad_, we lost track of time." Tonks said sarcastically. "We just went to Hogsmede."

"We brought you chocolate frogs," Remus said, shaking a Honeyduke's bag.

Sirius unwrapped a chocolate frog greedily and popped it into his mouth.

"Don't change the subject. What were you doing in Hogsmede for that long?"

"Buying you chocolate frogs?" Tonks offered. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well, we went to Zonko's, and Honeyduke's, and then the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, and then we walked around some…"

"And we went into the Shrieking Shack," Remus added. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"That place is depressing, Moony. Not a great place to bring a girl on a date."

"It wasn't a date!" Remus protested. Tonks was slightly hurt out how vehemently he denied this, but she quickly recovered.

"It sounded an awful lot like a date to me," Sirius smirked, obviously enjoying the fact that both of his friends we turning red quickly.

"It wasn't a date!" Remus repeated. "It was just an outing." Sirius snorted.

"Really!" Tonks insisted. "It was definitely not a date. It was the opposite of a date. It was a…"

"Non-date?" Remus suggested.

"Exactly. It was a non-date."

"Fine, fine." Sirius raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's just that I'm trapped in this house all the time, and so I have to live vicariously through you two. And _you're_ not even getting any action."

"You probably should have picked more interesting friends," Remus said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Hey, I happen to think I'm plenty interesting," Tonks protested, starting a bickering match which left Sirius with a very self-satisfied smirk on his face.

_A/n: Ahhh! They just keep getting longer! This one was a little different, I felt like I had to get things moving. _

_Also, please continue reviewing! It gives me a special happy feeling and provokes me to write more sooner. (Hint, hint)._


	8. Sirius Black, Matchmaker Extraordinaire

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked, I was not J.K. Rowling. If this changes, I will try to inform you, but I doubt that if I were Jo, I would have time to write fanfiction.

**Chapter 8: Sirius Black, Matchmaker Extraordinaire**

Nymphadora Tonks was trying her utmost to focus on Dumbledore's report during the latest monthly meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, but she was having even more trouble paying attention than usual. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that her cousin, Sirius Black, was making faces at her from across the table (_Men are _so_ immature_), and even more to do with the fact that they were crowded around the too small kitchen table (_Couldn't someone have done an engorgement charm?_), and so her knee kept bumping into Remus Lupin's, whom she was seated next to (_Not that she minded_).

Tonks was naturally fidgety, but tonight, her knee seemed to have a mind of its own. She kept glancing at Remus' face for signs of annoyance, but seeing none, she decided he had written it off as her need to be moving constantly combined with the fact that the chairs were close enough together that she was practically sitting on his lap, anyway.

_I _really_ wouldn't mind that_, Tonks thought to herself, before biting her lip. _Stop it! Pay attention! I'm supposed to be proving my maturity, not acting like a teenager with a crush._

She glanced up at Snape, who was now reporting on the latest plans of the Death Eaters. She sighed. She knew how important this was, but she could not bring herself to pay attention to Snape. _No matter how important his job is, he's still a bloody git_, she thought, as he sent her a particularly nasty glare.

0o0o0o0o0

At dinner, when Tonks tried to sit down with Sirius and Remus, Kingsley dragged her off to the other side of the table to talk about work.

_I spend all day at work!_ Tonks thought angrily. _The last thing I want to do is talk about it at dinner._

But seeing as Kingsley was her superior, and they had details of the next "Sirius sighting" to work out, she sighed and sat down with him. She could talk to Sirius and Remus after dinner.

0o0o0o0o0

After dinner, Remus caught Tonks by the arm.

"Nymphadora," he said. Tonks noticed that he was looking rather worn and tired.

"Don't call me that, Remus," she said softly, her usual snappiness lost in concern.

"Would you mind staying here for a while and entertaining Sirius?"

"Of course," Tonks said, "Don't we usually?"

"Yes, but I think I'm going to go to bed now. I've been tired, what with the full moon approaching and all."

Tonks eyed him suspiciously. "It's new moon tonight. Full moon isn't for several more weeks. You can't pull that one over on me, Remus."

He laughed humourlessly. "I should have known."

"So, what's going on?" Tonks crossed her arms. "You can tell me, you know."

"I know. It's nothing. I haven't been sleeping well lately." Tonks suspected that wasn't it, but from the look on his face, she decided to drop it.

"Okay. Well, have a good night."

He looked grateful that she had let the subject drop. "Good night."

"Hope you feel better. We'll miss you tonight." She said, patting him on the arm gently. She lingered for a moment before rounding the corner to the sitting room and flopping down on the couch with Sirius.

"So, what's up with Remus?" she asked. "He seems very…not himself."

"He didn't tell you?" Sirius looked surprised. "He's been doing reconnaissance work on werewolves for Dumbledore."

"He's been doing _what_? Does he have any idea how dangerous that is? How could Dumbledore assign him that?"

"I'll wager he knows a bit more about how dangerous it is than you do," Sirius said.

"Oh, right." Tonks blushed.

"I suppose that's why he didn't tell you, then."

"Why?"

"Because he knew you'd freak out like that."

"I'm not freaking out," Tonks said, offended. "He's my friend and I'm concerned about him!"

"Maybe a bit too concerned." Sirius smirked.

Tonks sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering this new development. She couldn't believe he hadn't told her! Did he really think she couldn't handle it? Or did he just not trust her?

"He fancies you too, you know." Sirius' voice pierced the silence.

"Who? _Remus?_" asked Tonks.

"No, my other best mate that you were staring at all night," Sirius said sarcastically. "Yes, _Remus_."

Tonks blushed. "Oh. You noticed."

"I think the whole Order noticed, cos."

She blushed even redder. "I wasn't staring that much, was I?"

"Well, you were drooling a bit…" She smacked his arm.

"Sirius Black! I was not!" She was silent for a few moments. "Do you really think he fancies me?" She tried to keep the edge of her excitement out of her voice, to make herself sound slightly more mature.

Sirius sighed. "Why do you think he's been going upstairs after dinner? He's avoiding you."

Tonks looked at him confusedly. "And so you get the idea that he fancies me from that, how?"

"I've known Remus for a long time. A very long time. Merlin, that makes me feel old." He let out a bark of laughter. "Trust me, he likes you. But he's never going to do anything about it, because that's just the way he is. You've got to make the first move."

Tonks was silent, considering her older cousin's wisdom. Or idiocy.

"You're not Remus' usual type. Not that he dates enough to have a usual type, but in school he usually went for the quiet, bookish type. You know, smart girls." He broke off at the look of protest on Tonks' face. "Not that you're not smart," he added hurriedly, "But you're a different kind of smart. And you're very unconventional," he added, gesturing at her pink hair and band t-shirt.

"Unconventional, I like it," Tonks decided. "It sounds much better than weird."

Sirius nodded. "I'm willing to bet Remus isn't your usual type either, not that I've met many of the guys you've dated, other than Charlie Weasley." Tonks glared at him. "But I'm guessing that most of the guys you've dated have had tattoos and ear piercings."

"That's not true, only a couple have had an ear pierced. And tattoos are cool," Tonks said.

"My point exactly." Sirius grinned. "But what I'm saying is that despite your obvious differences, you two seem to have a connection. And despite the obvious weirdness of my baby cousin and my best mate dating, I'm willing to give you my blessing."

"Your blessing?"

"Eh, it sounded cool," Sirius said defensively. "I'm just saying, I want you two to be happy. Especially Remus. You could loosen him up a bit, I think."

"You're a good friend, you know that?" Tonks said, looking at her cousin affectionately.

"Aw, shut up and pour me some more firewhiskey!"

0o0o0o0o0

What with work and guard duty for the Order, it was a couple weeks late before she made it back to Grimmauld Place again. When she arrived, she found them in the sitting room, setting up a game of wizard's chess. When Sirius spotted her, his face lit up with a huge grin.

"Oi, Tonks! Perfect timing! Remus and I were just about to have a game of chess, but I've just remembered that I've forgotten to feed Buckbeak. You can take my spot." With that, he rushed up the stairs, throwing a wink at Tonks.

She settled herself in the seat he had vacated, and then looked up at the man who was seated across from her.

"Wotcher, Remus.

"Nymphadora." He nodded at her.

"When are you going to remember that it's Tonks?" she asked exasperatedly.

"I know, I know. But it really is such a lovely name, _someone_ has to use it." He grinned at her.

"And that someone might as well be you?"

"Exactly."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "So how are you doing? Long time no see."

"I'm fine."

"What kind of an answer is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"'I'm fine.' That's not a real answer. It's something you say when someone asks you how you are as a social formality. This isn't a social formality. This is me, asking you, as a friend, how you are doing."

"Okay, okay. I'm…tired."

"And how's your mission for Dumbledore going?"

"What? How did you know about that?"

"Sirius told me. I was worried about you."

"But that's exactly why I didn't tell you about it! I didn't want you to worry."

"I was worried anyway. You look terrible, and the full moon is ages away, Remus. You need to take care of yourself." Her voice softened, and she looked up at him, eyes full of concern.

"I'll be fine. It's going fine." His voice was hard.

"There's that word again. 'Fine.' It really bugs me."

"Sorry. Shall we play now?" He asked, gesturing to the chess pieces. She took that as a sign that the conversation was over, and quickly changed the subject to something funny that had happened at work.

0o0o0o0o0

"No, that's my last bishop!" Tonks cried as Remus' white rook knocked out her black piece. Even though Tonks knew that having more pieces in chess did not always equate to victory, she knew she was losing. Not just losing. Remus was trouncing her.

"But look, you've still your queen. You could make a comeback." Tonks rolled her eyes.

"I've got no chance. I ought to admit defeat now."

He looked at her pityingly. "No, look. If you move your pawn here, you can take my knight."

Tonks looked at the pieces and decided that he was right. She put her hand on the piece to move it, but stopped, eyeing Remus suspiciously.

"You're not trying to trick me, are you?"

"Why would I do that? I'm going to win anyway." She scowled at him.

"What happened to 'you could make a comeback'?" Tonks asked.

"I was being nice. Now I'm being honest." He smirked.

"Oh, you're going down."

0o0o0o0o0

When the game finally ended (Remus had, indeed, won, despite the fact that he tried to help Tonks towards the end to make her defeat less humiliating), and they picked up the chess pieces, Remus asked, "Where do you think Sirius has gone? How long does it take to feed a hippogriff?

"Maybe Buckbeak has gone rampant," Tonks suggested.

"Maybe he flew out the window," Remus added.

"And is terrorizing muggles all over London."

"I suppose Sirius won't be back for awhile, then."

"Yes, it would take a little bit to capture a rampant hippogriff."

Tonks laughed. "We need to do this again. You know, have a rematch. Because I'm sure I could take you."

"Of course you could," Remus said seriously.

"I'd probably better get going. I've got to work in the morning."

"See you later, then."

"Bye." She turned around and headed for the stairs. Remus caught her arm.

"Wait." She turned back around to face him. "You forgot your coat," he said, handing it to her.

"Thanks." She turned back around, but stopped at the stairs. "Remus?"

"Yes?"

She took a step towards him, uncertainly. Her heart was hammering so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Before she could think better of what she was about to do, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

When he did not return the kiss, but rather stood frozen as a statue, she pulled away, her face bright red. "S-sorry," she stammered, taking a step back and heading for the stairway. "I'll just be going now." But her exit was further ruined when she tripped over the umbrella stand in the front hallway. When she finally managed to right herself, she found herself face-to-face with Remus again.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," she said, staring down at her feet. "I've got no idea what came over me, sometimes I just do things without thinking." She attempted to move her gaze slightly higher, and ended up staring at his nose.

"I'm really sorry." As she turned to leave, he grabbed her by the wrists. He took a step forward, backing her into the wall. He gently but firmly brought her arms up to the wall, effectively pinning her against it.

"Nymphadora, look at me." She bit her lip, but finally managed to look him in the eye. "Don't be sorry." And then he closed the distance between them again, kissing her tenderly at first, with more intensity as she responded. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing heavily.

"Bloody hell!" was all Tonks could manage between gasps.

"Nympha-" he started, but caught himself. "Tonks? I'm sorry, was that too forward of me?"

She shook her head. "I've changed my mind."

"About what?"

"You can call me whatever you want if you promise to do _that_ again."

"Sounds like a deal, _Nymphadora_," he said, grinning, and leaned in again.

They both jumped at the sound of the umbrella stand being knocked over again.

"Bloody thing, I've been meaning to get rid of it," Sirius said, waving at them cheerily. "Don't let me stop you two from…whatever you were doing."

They blushed, and Remus released his grip on Tonks' wrists and backed away from the wall slightly.

"Wotcher, Sirius," Tonks said nervously. "We were just talking about you."

Sirius snorted. "That's not what it looked like to me."

"Well, I'd better get going, I've got work in the morning," Tonks muttered, blushing furiously.

"You could stay here tonight, I don't think Remus would mind." Sirius offered, smirking.

"Don't be a prat, cos." Tonks said, rolling her eyes. "I'll see you later." She turned to face Remus. "'Night, Remus."

"Good night, Nymphadora," he said softly.

Later that night, lying in bed, Nymphadora Tonks decided that maybe her first name wasn't so bad after all.

_A/n: And longer still! I really intended for this to be a short chapter. I thought about breaking it up, but I decided there'll probably be enough chapters as it is._

_A/n 2: What did you think? Too fluffy? (Probably.) Too cheesy? (Possibly.) Too jello-y? (Huh???) Review, and let me know._


	9. A Mistake

**Disclaimer:** I am but a poor teenager who is spending her time writing stories about fictional characters from someone else's imagination to amuse herself.

_Wait, that sounds kind of pathetic. _

_Rephrase:_ I am a dutiful student who hones her writing skills by posting stories and receiving feedback from AMAZING reviewers (over 80 reviews!!! You guys rock!!!). Nonetheless, the main point remains the same: I am not J.K. Rowling. I own nothing. But it's fun. (Wow, that was long. Must start writing shorter disclaimers.)

**Chapter 9: A Mistake**

The next day, Tonks headed over to Number 12, Grimmauld Place as soon as she got off work. She was still reeling from the events of last night, and she hadn't really been able to focus all day. She was nervous but excited about seeing Remus again.

She Apparated into the hallway, and managed to make it down the stairs without tripping or knocking anything over. She took this as a good sign, and made her way over to the door to the sitting room. As she got closer, she could hear Remus and Sirius talking, or rather, arguing.

"You had no right!" Remus' voice was angrier than she had ever heard it. She wondered what Sirius had done to set him off.

"Come on, Moony, I had to. You were never going to do anything about it yourself." Sirius seemed to be attempting to calm his friend down. This was unusual, in Tonks' experience it had always been the other way around.

"And it would have been better that way!" Remus was indignant.

Tonks raised her eyebrows, contemplating her options. She probably shouldn't be hearing this conversation, but it wasn't like she was eavesdropping. They were shouting, and she couldn't help but overhear.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sirius said. "She enjoyed it, and I know you did too, you were grinning like a fool for an hour afterwards."

"That was before your stupid potion wore off and I realized what I had done!" Remus shouted.

_Potion?_ Tonks wondered. _What are they talking about?_

"There was nothing wrong with what you did!" Sirius said.

"I pinned her up against a wall and attacked her!" Remus yelled. "How is there nothing wrong with that?"

"She was quite enjoying it. I could tell."

"It doesn't matter whether she enjoyed it or not! You probably slipped a love potion in her drink, too."

"It wasn't a love potion! It just lowered your inhibitions a little. Meaning the desire to snog her senseless was already there, I just helped you along. And I didn't slip Tonks anything. I didn't have to. She is not a bloody idiot, unlike you."

The door swung open, nearly hitting Tonks, who had frozen upon hearing her name.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. Well, I must go, I've got some…stuff to do." Remus scurried off toward the stairs, leaving Tonks dumbstruck.

"Moony! MOONY! Remus, wait!" Sirius cried, rushing to the doorway, only to find Tonks standing in it, a blank look on her face.

"Hey, Tonksie. How much of that did you hear?" his voice softened.

"Enough." Tonks crossed her arms.

"I can explain, really." Sirius' look was pleading.

"Go ahead."

Sirius sat down on the old sofa and motioned for Tonks to join him. "So, I've known Remus for a long time, so I know how he acts around girls he fancies. And I've seen the way he acts around you. Especially since your 'non-date' a few weeks ago. From what he said about it, it sounded a heck of a lot more romantic than any 'date-date' he's ever been on.

"After that, I watched you two together. And I realized, although you two may be one of the strangest couples I've ever seen, after Filch and Madam Pince, of course (Tonks winced), there was obviously something going on there. And then I talked to you.

"After you left, I began to formulate my plan. I thought to myself, _Tonks fancies Remus, Remus fancies Tonks. Remus is a bloody moron who will never do anything about it._ How could I fix this situation? And then it came to me: just make him stop thinking so much. James and I always said that head of his would get him into trouble…" Sirius trailed off, clearly reminiscing about his Hogwarts days. Tonks tapped her foot impatiently and Sirius snapped back into the present.

"Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, I just needed to get him to stop thinking so much. So, I dug through the books in the study…" Tonks looked surprised. "Don't be so shocked, cos. It has been know to happen. But anyway, I found a potions book, and I brewed up some _Essence of Anti-Inhibitions_. Now, I was never very good at potions, but it seemed to work alright, except for the fact that it eventually wore off. Remus, who was brilliant at potions, recognized what I had done. And that is where you came in, cos."

Tonks took a deep breath.

"So, are you mad at me?" Sirius asked.

"I'm still deciding," Tonks muttered. "I guess Remus got mad enough for the both of us. I've never seen him angry before."

"It wasn't about you, really," Sirius said earnestly.

"How could it not be about me?" Tonks said bitterly. "He regrets snogging me and never wants to see me again."

"Frankly, cos, not everything is about you." Tonks shot Sirius a look. "Really, he's just mad at me. And of course he wants to see you again. Just maybe not right now, he's not in the greatest of moods."

"Well, that's too bad. I've got to talk to him."

"Erm…that's probably not the best idea, Tonksie. He can be a right git when he gets in a mood."

"I have to do this now, before it gets awkward and it's too late." Tonks was determined.

"It's going to be awkward no matter when you do it. This is Remus we're talking about."

Tonks shrugged, and turned around towards the stairs. "You could be more supportive about this, you know."

"Tonks, I'm just trying to stop you from making a huge mistake."

"I think I can decide what is a mistake on my own, thank you very much." She stomped up the stairs to go talk to Remus, leaving a very defeated Sirius behind in her wake.

0o0o0o0o0

Tonks knocked hesitantly on the door. There was no reply. She knocked louder.

"Go away, Padfoot," came a muffled voice from behind the door.

"It's me, Tonks," she called. "I need to talk to you." She waited for a moment and the door swung open, revealing Remus, who was looking exceptionally tired and threadbare.

"Wotcher," Tonks said nervously. _Maybe Sirius was right. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all._

"Hey, Tonks." Tonks stood there for several moments, biting her lip.

"Well, this is awkward," she muttered. "Let's just get this over with." She took a deep breath. "Weneedtotalkaboutwhathappenedlastnight."

"What?" Remus looked at her confusedly. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

Tonks blushed, took another breath, and tried again. "We need…to talk…about…what happened last night."

"Oh. That."

"Yes, that."

"Well, I think we both agree that it was a mistake," Remus said, matter-of-factly.

"A mistake?" Tonks repeated dumbly.

"Well, I know you talked to Sirius, so you know he slipped something in my drink. So I wasn't in my right mind when I…er…" he trailed off.

"When you what?" Tonks asked, motioning for him to continue.

"You know," Remus answered, looking pained.

"What, trounced me at chess? Just say it, Remus."

"…When I kissed you." He was blushing furiously now, and refused to meet her eyes.

"So, kissing me was a mistake."

"Yes, that's what I said. Wasn't that what you came up here to say?" he looked quite irritated at this point.

"I was _going_ to say that was the best bloody snog I've had in a long time."

"Oh." Remus looked shocked.

"But since you've decided this whole thing was a mistake, I guess it doesn't matter."

"Tonks…don't…" he trailed off.

"Don't what?" Tonks asked angrily.

"Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not saying it wasn't…good. Or that I don't have feelings for you. But we can't do this."

"Do what? Snog in hallways?"

"No, _this_. You and me, we can't…be involved."

"But we can snog in hallways?"

"We probably shouldn't do that either."

"Why not?" Tonks asked, looking confused. "It seemed to work pretty well last time."

"It wouldn't be a good idea for you to get involved with me. I'm a werewolf, Tonks."

Tonks rolled her eyes impatiently. "I knew that."

"And I'm too old for you."

"You're not _that _old. Besides, who cares?"

"I'm broke. I could never afford to provide for you. I can't even afford rent."

"Merlin, Remus. I'm not asking you to _marry_ me! We would just go on a few dates. I could pay. It is the twentieth-century."

"It's not a good idea, Tonks. Just let go of it." Remus begged.

"Why not? We walked around Hogsmede that day, remember? And we had fun. It would be just like that, but with snogging."

"It would change everything." Remus said.

"But it would be for the better!" Tonks added.

"Drop it, Tonks." There was a hint of finality in his tone.

"Fine. But you're being ridiculous." She stomped down the stairs, not even bothering to say goodbye.

Sirius was waiting for her back in the hallway. "How'd it go, cos?"

"Don't want to talk about it!" Tonks felt a tear in the corner of her eye, and she wiped it away angrily. "I've got to go." Her voice cracked.

"Tonksie! Wait!" Sirius cried, but it was too late. She was gone.


	10. Friends

**Disclaimer:** While it is highly improbable that anyone who owns the rights to anything remotely connected to Harry Potter (except a copy of the books and a poster or two) will stumble upon this story, I must reiterate that I OWN NOTHING, if only because all the cool kids are doing it…

**Chapter 10: Friends**

Due to the massive amount of paperwork and useless "Sirius hunts" Tonks was assigned at the Ministry, it was a month before she returned to Grimmauld Place again for the next Order meeting.

She sat down next to Sirius, and they were discussing their Chocolate Frog card collection when Remus entered the kitchen. Sirius looked up at him, as if to wave him over, but Remus looked straight ahead and went to sit down at the opposite end of the table.

"Is he still mad at you?" Tonks whispered to her cousin.

"Nah, but he's avoiding you," Sirius replied.

"That's ridiculous! Why can't we just act like adults and move past this?"

"That's Moony for you. Old beyond his years in some ways, and yet a clueless second year in others."

Tonks sighed and shook her head. She had been trying desperately not to think about Remus over the past month, but he determinedly popped into her head at the most inopportune moments. Now that she was sitting in the same room as him, after not seeing him for three weeks, she found herself unable to think of anything else, no matter how hard she tried.

She attempted to pay attention during Dumbledore's announcement, refusing to let her eyes wander over to Remus. But when Snape started talking, she couldn't force herself to dwell on his monotonous voice and greasy appearance. Her eyes flickered a few seats down, and she took in Remus' appearance.

He looked exhausted. Tonks remembered that the full moon had been last week. His hair seemed even grayer than the last time she had seen him, his face more lined, his robes more frayed. His gray eyes were focused on Snape.

Tonks felt a wave of sadness come over her. _I really have missed him_, she thought. _Even just as a friend. Maybe I could talk to him after the meeting and we could agree to try and put all this behind us._

Tonks' thoughts were interrupted as Remus eyes flickered back over to her, catching her staring. She blushed and looked down. Sirius let out a snort.

"Pay attention, Tonksie!" he muttered.

"I was!" she lied.

"To something other than Moony, I mean." Tonks blushed, and glanced up at Kingsley, who was now reporting on the Ministry.

"—Still wasting their time on hunting for Sirius Black, who was recently spotted in Tahiti—" Sirius smirked. "—and keeping suspected dissidents busy with paper work." Tonks rolled her eyes. She needed to learn to keep her mouth shut at work.

She forced herself to at least appear to be paying attention to the rest of the reports, but after the meeting was over, she found she could not even remember everyone who had given the reports.

0o0o0o0o0

After the meeting, Sirius begged Tonks to stay afterward for drinks.

"Remus has guard duty, so you won't have to worry about him."

Tonks masked her disappointment quickly. She hadn't gotten the chance to talk to him after the meeting, either. "Alright."

"Brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed. "I haven't had anyone to talk to except Moony, and you know how bloody dull he can be." With that, he went into the kitchen, and returned with a bottle of firewhiskey, and two mugs. "Let's get drunk."

Tonks decided that it was the best idea she'd heard all day.

0o0o0o0o0

She thought differently when she was rudely awoken by Remus returning from guard duty at four o'clock in the morning.

"Tonks?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Ugh…" she groaned, lifting her head slowly off the kitchen table. "Wuzzgoinon?"

"You're at Headquarters."

"Don't yell. My head hurts," Tonks moaned, clutching her head. _How much did we drink?_ She wondered, glancing over at Sirius, still passed out beside her. _What was I thinking? I have to work today!_

Before she even noticed he was gone, Remus returned with a cup full of putrid smelling liquid.

"Hangover cure," he said softly. She muttered a grunt of appreciating, and downed the foul potion.

"Thanks," she said, shuddering. Within minutes, her head felt clear.

"You should get some rest. There's a guest bedroom upstairs," Remus said. "I've got to get Sirius upstairs too."

"Nah, put him on the sofa. Remember what happened last time?" Tonks asked. "He probably still has a lump on his head."

"That wasn't my fault, you were distracting me!" Remus said, defensively.

"Would you like me to leave so you can get him upstairs without any 'distractions'?" Tonks questioned jokingly. Remus laughed.

"Fine, we'll put him on the sofa. Can you give me a hand?" Tonks grabbed Sirius' feet, and they carried him over to the couch. Tonks placed a blanket over top of him and patted his head gently.

"'Night, cos," she muttered softly. Then she turned to Remus. "You'd better have that hangover stuff ready in the morning. He drank more than I did." Remus chuckled softly.

"I'll show you where the guest bedroom is," he said, leading her up the stairs. She thought about saying that it wasn't necessary, she knew where everything was from helping clean the house out a few months ago, but she decided against it.

"Good night," he said, upon reaching the door.

"'Night." She turned to open the door, and she heard his footsteps down the hall. "Remus, wait!" she called. He turned around. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?" he asked. "Getting drunk? It's not like it's an unusual occurrence around here."

Tonks would have laughed, but she was trying to keep the conversation serious. "No, for pushing you, last time we talked. I didn't have any right. I shouldn't have gotten worked up about it."

"You don't have to apolo-" she cut him off.

"Yes, I do. And I really want us to be friends." Tonks smiled crookedly. "I missed you," she added softly, not sure if he could even hear.

"Of course we're friends," he said.

"Good."

"Good."

"'Night, Remus."

"Sweet dreams, _Nymphadora_." His eyes twinkled as she shut the door.

_A/n: Sorry, that was rather short, and devoid of substance. Hopefully I'll have another one up soon… School has been eating all of my time. Please review! (I'm almost at 100!)_


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